Great Dock Canoe Races: Photos from past races

Nancy Schwerin, dressed as Elphaba from the Broadway play "Wicked", paddles the back end of a canoe that she is racing with her son during the Ambitious Amateurs heat of the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race on Saturday afternoon in Crayton Cove. The annual race began in 1977 as an end-of-season celebration took on the theme this year of "Magic and Mystery." Lexey Swall/Staff

Dave Carpenter, left, and Bob Best ride in their canoe "Puff the Magic Dragon" during the boat parade before the races being at the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race in Crayton Cove on Saturday. Lexey Swall/Staff

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads wait by their theme canoe designed after the movie Toy Story before the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Their canoe won the best designed canoe, awarding them $1,000. Greg Kahn/Staff

Nancy Schwerin, dressed as a "fem-bot", loads inflatable male dolls into her canoe for the theme boat parade before the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. "We need a ten man crew and these guys are worthless," Schwerin said. Greg Kahn/Staff

Ayleen Perez-Lavin, dressed as Velma from Scooby Doo, helps carry a canoe desguised as the Mystery Machine after the boart parade during the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race in Crayton Cove on Saturday. Lexey Swall/Staff

Mark Bush, front, and Stephen Morris of the neighborhood america team paddle hard to finish the VIP Race in first place during The Great Dock Canoe Race at the City Dock in Naples Saturday morning. Darron R. Silva/Staff

Ed Joy, left, and Rod Price paddle their canoe up the Gordon River past the spectator boats during the Practically Professionals race at the 28th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday (May 8). Joy and Price of Gainesville defeated Pete Jenks and Ann Grady to win the Practically Professionals race. David Ahntholz/Staff

Kim Kelsey and his daughter Kristina of Naples paddle toward the finish line to win the Ambitious Amateurs race at the 28th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday (May 8). David Ahntholz/Staff

Bob Best, right, and Dave Carpenter, left, from the East Naples Kiwanis paddle by the crowd gathered on the Naples City Dock for the 28th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday morning (May 8). The boat from the East Naples Kiwanis honoring the world champion Florida Marlins won the theme boat contest at the race. The theme for this year's race was "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." David Ahntholz/Staff

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Naples Great Dock Canoe Race Poster 2003

Scanned 05/08/03 Sports 05/09/03 Tonya Palarmo, left, and Patricia Wilborn, right, practice a turn on the Gordon River Thursday afternon (May 8) as they prepare for the upcoming Great Dock Canoe Race. Wilborn and Palarmo are the defending champions in th women's division. David Ahntholz/Staff

Scanned 05/08/03 Sports 05/09/03 Patricia Wilborn, left, and Tonya Palarmo, right, practice on the Gordon River for the upcoming Great Dock Canoe Race Thursday afternon (May 8). Wilborn and Palarmo are the defending champions in th women's division. David Ahntholz/Staff

5-year-old Meredith Hunter watches from a dock for her father, Sheriff Don Hunter who competed in the annual Great Dock Canoe Race on May 10th. Donn Brown/Staff

The canoe sponsored by Neighborhood American overturns at the start of the Ambitious Amateurs class in 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race on May 10th at the City Docks. Donn Brown/Staff

Naples marathon runner Ed Barreto and his wife Sandra competed in the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race on May 10th. Barreto once ran 84 marathons in a 52 week period. Donn Brown/Staff

Competition is close at the start of the Great Dock Canoe Race's Tippycanoe VIP Sprint Class on May 10th. The Naples Daily News crew of Chad Gillis and Fritz Otiker won the class with a time of 4:54. Donn Brown/Staff

Racers fight for position at the start of the Ambitious Amateurs & Next Generation race during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Greg Kahn/Staff

Sam Sweeney, left, gives a fist pump to the crowd after his canoe with teammate Rick Schumacher, right, flipped just yards from the finish line during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Sweeney wasn't as happy after discovering his iPhone that he had with him on the boat, also took a dip in the water and stopped working. Greg Kahn/Staff

Bob Wetenkamp catches a nap in the shade in his teams Lifesaver themed canoe before the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Greg Kahn/Staff

Sandra and Edgard Barreto paddle the last yards to the finish line at the end of the Ambitious Amateurs & Next Generation race during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. The pair finished in the middle of the pack. Greg Kahn/Staff

The brother and sister pair of Dail Frates and Frazier Gardella, who have a combined eight overall wins between them, paddle in the last few feet to the finish line to win the Practically Professional race during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Greg Kahn/Staff

Five year old Ruth Sanders rests on the Naples City Dock as she waits for the Practically Professionals race to finish during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Greg Kahn/Staff

Visitors fill the Naples City Dock during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Greg Kahn/Staff

Sue Toncar, front, and Corrie Mayhew collapse in their canoe after finishing the Ambitious Amateurs & Next Generation race during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Greg Kahn/Staff

PHOTO: GREAT DOCK CANOE RACE ... 05/12/2002 Naples Daily News Section: C-Sports Edition: Final Published: 05/12/2002 Page: C01 Keywords: 26th annual great dock canoe race Photo: Great Dock Canoe Race Colin Gardella, 20, right, and his father, Frazier Gardella, 45, both of Naples, finish first in the male/male race at 26th annual "Patriots" Great Dock Canoe Race on Saturday at The City Dock at Crayton Cove in Naples. Colin and Frazier for the second year in a row have placed first in the male/male race. The Naples Community Sailing Center Youth Sailing Program will receive a donation from the race to purchase an inflatable safety boat. Gary Coronado/Staff

PHOTO: PADDLING FOR POSITION ... 05/12/2002 Naples Daily News Section: A Section Edition: Final Published: 05/12/2002 Page: A01 Keywords: Great Dock Canoe Race Photo: Paddling for position Ron Avola of Naples and his partner, Lynda Barreto, not shown, try to position themselves at the start of the first heat, male/female and female/female, of the 26th annual "Patriots" Great Dock Canoe Race on Saturday at the City Dock at Crayton Cove in Naples. The Naples Community Sailing Center Youth Sailing Program will receive a donation from the race to buy an inflatable safety boat. Gary Coronado/Staff

Canoes pile up at the start of the VIP Tippycanoe Sprint during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Greg Kahn/Staff

The Wilson Miller canoe leaps ahead into second place at the start of the VIP Tippycanoe Sprint during the 32nd Annual Great Dock Canoe Race at the Naples City Dock on Saturday May 10, 2008. Greg Kahn/Staff

Naples City Councilman Gary Price, right, and his partner Mike Bauer push to the finish line during the Tippycanoe VIP Sprint at the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race in Crayton Cove on Saturday. Lexey Swall/Staff

Kristina Kelsey, 20, is picked up by her friends after being announced the first place winner of the Next Generation race at the end of the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race on Saturday in Crayton Cove. She and her sister, Kerry, 17, entered the race together. Lexey Swall/Staff

Bailey, a 6-year-old Australian Shepherd, also known as "dragon", waits with her owner for the boat parade to begin as the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race in Crayton Cove on Saturday. Lexey Swall/Staff

Dolly Roberts, right, and Glenda Oslin, center, check the time as they get canoes read for the parade during the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race in Crayton Cove on Saturday. Lexey Swall/Staff

Participants of the Tippycanoe VIP Sprint take off from the starting line as spectators watch from the City Dock during the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race. Money raised from the annual event benefits the Voices for Kids of Southwest Florida in support of the Guardian ad Litem program. Lexey Swall/Staff

Roy Zweeres, foreground, and his partner Rod Price push to the finish line to come in first for the Practically Professionals canoe race Saturday during the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race in Naples Bay. Zweeres, of Spring HIll, and Price, from Orlando came to Naples specifically to enter the canoe race and were also announced as the overall winners for Saturday. Lexey Swall/Staff

Danny Gonzalez, left, and racing partner Jason Britt, second from left, are cheered on by specatators, right, as they complete the Tippycanoe VIP Sprint at the canoe races on Saturday. The pair capsized three times during their race. "We're not last," yelled Britt as they pulled up on shore. Lexey Swall/Staff

Kerry Kelsey, 17, is hugged by her friends after being announced the first place winners of the Next Generation race at the end of the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race on Saturday in Crayton Cove. Kelsey and her sister, Kristina, 20, entered the race together. Lexey Swall/Staff

Doug Lee, right, and Paul Castenir respond to people cheering them on during the Ambitious Amateur canoe race on Saturday during the 2007 Great Dock Canoe Race in Naples Bay. The duo's canoe eventually sank while they were nearing the end of the race and later they won the Chuck Bruce Broken Paddle Award for sportsmanship. "We did not tip over, we just sunk," said Lee. Lexey Swall/Staff

OPED Great Dock Canoe Race picture The person facing the camera is Linda Paschal. She is an employee of the Newsbank, and is a resident of Countryside Golf and Country Club here in Naples. Behind her is the canoe that won the canoe circus theme competition. Newsbank people built the canoe in Linda's garage. By the way it actually sits on a regular canoe, and the whole thing successfully competed in the race. Submitted by Wayne Sherman

Rod Price, left, and Yves Cartier struggle toward the finish line in a close race in the Practically Professionals race of the 30th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday afternoon, May 13. Casey Jenks and Frazier Gardella won the race to take the overall win in the races. David Ahntholz/Staff

Frazier Gardella, left, and Casey Jenks cross the finish line in to win the Practically Professionals race of the 30th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday afternoon, May 13. Gardella and Jenks battled with Yves Cartier and Rod Price to win the race, and had the best overall time by 56 seconds over Kim and Kerry Kelsey, who won the Ambitious Amateurs race. David Ahntholz/Staff

Alec Wipperman, 15, left, and his father Dirk paddle toward the finish line in the Ambitious Amateurs race in the 30th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday afternoon, May 13. Though the Wippermans crossed the finish line first, the handicapped time of Kim and Kerry Kelsey was enough to give them the win in the Ambitious Amateurs race. David Ahntholz/Staff

Rickie Herrmann, from left, Joel Shultes, and Brian Kelly from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida decorate their canoe with a Skunk Ape theme for the 30th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Theme Boat Parade Saturday morning, May 13. David Ahntholz/Staff

Linda Paschal, from left, Justin Scroggs, and Paul Badeau from NewsBank restock their supply of helium balloons in front of their Theme Canoe Parade entry "Cirque du Canoe" in the 30th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday afternoon, May 13. The Cirque du Canoe entry, paddled by Badeau and John McLean took top honors in the parade. This year's theme was "A Day at the Circus." David Ahntholz/Staff

Contestants in the Ambitious Amateurs race paddle away from the start line at the 30th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday afternoon, May 13. David Ahntholz/Staff

Kim Kelsey and his daughter Kerry, 16, paddle their way toward the finish line in the Ambitious Amateurs race at the 30th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday, May 13. The Kelseys won the race with a handicapped time of 20:58. David Ahntholz/Staff

Rebecca King, left, and Katie Binkowski from WilsonMiller react after flipping their boat in the "A Day at the Circus" Theme Canoe Parade at the 30th Annual Great Dock Canoe Race Saturday, May 13. "Cirque du Canoe," from NewsBank, paddled by Paul Badeau and John McLean won the Theme Canoe Parade competition. David Ahntholz/Staff

Paul Badeau, left, and John McLean wave to the crowd from their canoe, Queen Lili Von Shtupp, as their second place win in the Theme Parade is announced at The Great Dock Canoe Race at the City Dock in Naples Saturday morning. The theme this year was Blazing Paddes. Darron R. Silva/Staff

Nancy Schwerin, right, and Susan Gursoy laugh as they paddle their boat, 'Jim', after a boat racing them to the finish capsized during the theme parade at The Great Dock Canoe Race at the City Dock in Naples Saturday morning. Darron R. Silva/Staff